UN closes aid centres for Afghans due to Taliban’s restrictions

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has shut down eight aid centres which were supporting Afghan returnees, due to the Taliban stopping female UN workers from going into the centres, Al-Monitor via Reuters reported on September 12th.

According to the UN, Pakistan is forcing Afghan refugees to return home. The UNHCR Representative to Afghanistan, Arafat Jamal, said eight aid centres which were giving financial support to the Afghans were shut down on September 9th due to the female staff ban.

Jamal said: “It is not a decision taken to punish anyone or to make a statement, but simply it demonstrates that we cannot work without female workers in certain circumstances.”

Al-Monitor via Reuters